Iran's Red Crescent Complains to IFRC about Saudi Aid Blockage

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The head of Iran's Red Crescent Society (IRCS) announced that in a meeting of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies' (IFRC) board of governors in Geneva, the IRCS has censured the Saudi regime's move to block aid to Yemen.

Speaking to the Tasnim News Agency, Amir Mohsen Ziaei said that in the meeting, the IRCS discussed Riyadh's recent move to prevent Iranian airplanes carrying humanitarian aid to land in Yemen.

"…we raised the issue that a human tragedy is happening in Yemen and people are dying there and that the delivery of aid is facing serious disruption," Ziaei said.

He added that the Saudi delegation had no reaction to the IRCS's criticism and remained silent on the issue in the IFRC meeting.

Fighter jets of Saudi Arabian-led coalition bombed the runway of Sana'a airport on April 28 to prevent an Iranian plane carrying aid cargos from landing in the Yemeni capital.

Following the attack, the Iranian foreign ministry summoned Saudi Arabia's charge d’affaires to protest at the move.

This was the second time in just a few days that Iran's foreign ministry summoned the Saudi diplomat for the same reason.

The protest came as last week, another Iranian plane carrying humanitarian goods for the war-torn people of Yemen was forced to return to Tehran after Saudi Arabia's fighter jets refused the cargo plane landing in Yemen.